Community Holds Event to Raise Funds for Olympic Quest

WILDWOOD CREST – The Wildwood Crest community is banding together to raise funds to help one of its own pursue his Olympic dream.
Joseph Maloy, a 2004 graduate of Wildwood Catholic High School and a 2008 graduate of Boston College, will be the first Olympian from Cape May County if he is successful in triathlon trials in the coming months. A beef and beer benefit will be held Sunday, May 15, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Bayview Inn, Wildwood Crest. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $10 for children.
Maloy, 25, is a six-year veteran of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol and graduated from Boston College in 2009 with a master’s degree in administrative studies. Throughout his high school and college careers he was a standout athlete in swimming, and even worked as an assistant swim coach at Boston College while he was pursing his master’s degree. After an impressive college career as a swimmer Maloy began training for the triathlon – a 1.5 kilometer swim, 40 kilometer bicycle race, and a 10 kilometer run – after urging from former athletes who had noted his abilities.
The beef and beer fundraiser is one of several planned by a group calling themselves “Friends of Maloys” who were astounded by the cost being borne by Maloy’s family to further his triathlon career. Although Maloy is technically considered a “professional,” the winnings from international competitions pale in comparison to the cost associated with competition at an international level.
Currently, Maloy is ranked 10th in the United States among triathletes. However, during a recent tour of South America, as a competitor in the International Triathlon Union, Maloy repeatedly took the top spot among athletes from the United States. In Ecuador, Chile, and Peru, Maloy finished in the top 10 and is well-positioned to make the U.S. Olympic Trials set for August in London.
“We are humbled and so grateful by this gesture from our friends and community,” said Joseph Maloy’s mother, Mary, who is a school nurse at Crest Memorial School. Mary and her husband, Joseph Sr., have taught at the local school for many years and are set to retire at the end of the school year. Although they have been funding much of young Joseph’s dream, they admit that it is expensive. “There’s even the cost to fly the bike to each race,” explained Mary.
And it’s not your grandmother’s bike, either. The equipment demanded by athletes at Maloy’s level calls for a “drafting” bicycle that runs about $15,000, which was sponsored by an Italian bicycle manufacturer. Another bicycle, which is used in competitions used in races in the United States, is comparable in cost.
Maloy the junior spends most of his time traveling and competing. When he’s not entered in a triathlon or performing the grueling training for the race that takes about two hours to complete, he works at a restaurant in Manayunk, Pa., called Winnies Le Bus. As triathlon aficionados, the owners of that restaurant are well aware of Maloy’s potential and adjust the schedule to accommodate his rigorous itinerary. Maloy trains with Cadence Cycling and Multisport under three-time Olympian Brian Walton.
The designation as “professional” may indicate to most that Maloy earns money while on tour, the reality is far from the label. Being termed “professional” simply allows Maloy to move up in competitive tiers. In the past year Maloy has swiftly earned the right to compete in the top tier races.
The racing circuit in which Joseph Maloy competes deals exclusively with points. Whether he earns those points depends on his performance in foreign lands and whether he can afford to even attend those events to be Cape May County’s first Olympian.
Any thoughts of reaching the Olympics began with Joseph early in life. When he was in first or second grade, according to Mary, he “always wrote that he would someday be in the Olympics. Well, it’s unbelievable, but we’re almost there now,” she modestly said.
To purchase tickets to donate to Joe Maloy’s Olympic fund call 609-602-0666.